By Karen Calcaterra
Liberty High School pitcher Nate Steffens and catcher Tyler Haselman conference with head coach John Martin in the Patriots’ 6-2 loss to Centralia in the Class 2A state baseball semifinals May 29 at Yakima’s County Stadium.

It stemmed from a cursory peek at their record — it was below .500 — and continued with a look at their regular-season standings, as they finished seventh out of eight teams in the 3A/2A KingCo Conference.

Those numbers, though, didn’t tell the whole story, Liberty pitcher Nate Steffens said. And opponents who doubted the Patriots as they surged to take fourth place at state would’ve known it if they took a closer look.

“You’ve got to look at who we’ve been playing all year,” Steffens said.

The other 2A teams’ strength of schedule likely couldn’t compare, Liberty outfielder Torey Anderson said.

Liberty went toe-to-toe with the likes of 3A state-qualifier Lake Washington, and eventual 3A state champion Mercer Island all season. In fact, the Patriots defeated the Islanders in one of their three matchups.

“We play in a really tough league,” Anderson said.

Steffens admitted the Patriots didn’t agree with the “underdog” label, but they did take satisfaction in silencing critics with their fourth-place finish.

“It was an amazing experience, especially after two years of the team not doing so well,” he said.

Liberty earned its way into the final four after a thrilling, come-from-behind, 4-3 win in a regional playoff game against North Kitsap on May 23 at Centralia’s Wheeler Field.

After falling behind 3-0 in the third inning, the Patriots got one run back in the sixth, and then picked up three more in the seventh to secure the walk-off win and punch their ticket to the state semifinals.

“That’s about as close as you can get to being eliminated, but we didn’t stop,” Anderson said.

Anderson went 2-for-4 in the game, while catcher Tyler Haselman went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs to propel the Patriots to the win.

That put Liberty into the semifinals for the first time since 2003, when the Patriots won the 3A state title thanks to the arm of Tim Lincecum, now a star with the San Francisco Giants.

Liberty would go on to lose to eventual state champion Centralia, 6-2, in the semifinals at Yakima County Stadium on May 29.

The next day, they fell to Squalicum, 7-1, in a game that took 10 innings to determine a winner. Liberty had to settle for a fourth-place trophy.

The ending was bittersweet, Anderson and Steffens said, but it didn’t take away from all that the Patriots accomplished.

“A lot of people doubted us, but we won the games we had to win, we peaked at the right time and we extended our season a lot further than most people thought we would,” Anderson said.

By Kerry Baker
The Eastside Select Sports 14U baseball team, including players with both Hazen and Liberty high school roots, won the USSSA state championship at Cheney Stadium, home of the Tacoma Rainiers, July 9.

John McLeod, a 2010 Liberty High School graduate playing at Wake Forest University, was selected by the Baltimore Orioles June 7 in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft.

McLeod was chosen in the 21st round with the 631st overall pick. The redshirt junior, a left-handed pitcher, struck out 48 batters in 58 innings for Wake Forest in 2014.

He finished with a 5-2 record and a 2.33 ERA in 10 starts, successfully returning to the Demon Deacons’ staff after an injury sidelined him for the 2013 season.

McLeod was one of four Wake Forest players drafted, joining pitcher Jack Fischer (26th round, Detroit Tigers), pitcher Connor Kaden (27th round, San Francisco Giants) and shortstop Connor Keniry (27th round, Washington Nationals).

By Greg Farrar
Tyler Haselman, Liberty High School sophomore catcher, tags out Hazen’s J. Crosby in the top of the fourth on a spot-on throw from Liberty freshman centerfielder Torey Anderson.

It doesn’t have the same energy as the football or basketball rivalries, but anytime Liberty and Hazen high schools meet on the diamond, it’s always a battle between familiar foes.

Just three miles separate the two schools, and despite the fact they reside in different school districts, many of the students grew up together playing in youth leagues.

This time, it was the Liberty ball players who bested the Highlanders in a convincing 10-0 nonleague tune-up March 25.

“That was pretty amazing,” Liberty baseball coach John Martin said. “Hazen is typically a really good program, and usually battles pretty tough, if not comes out on the other side with a win, so that was pretty exciting.”

It took the Patriots just five innings to put away Hazen, which struggled to put together any momentum against Liberty’s winning pitcher, Lorin Archibald.

Archibald, a senior, was credited with the shutout, going all five innings and striking out four along the way.

“Archie looked good today,” Martin said. “He was the big part on our defensive side that led us to this win.”

The game remained scoreless after the first inning. Liberty secured the only runs it would need, though, in the three-run second inning.

Every Liberty starter came to the plate in the five-run third inning, chasing Hazen starting pitcher Ryan Gayte from the mound. Nolan Hoover, who also stars as the Highlanders’ quarterback, came on in relief.

“I think some of our mental approach was a little lacking, but I think we’ll be fine,” said Hazen baseball coach Mike Brundage said. “It’s a nonleague game, it is what it is. The key thing is to bounce back and have a short-term memory, and go out and start league.”

Hazen batters Brooks Jacobs and J. Crosby, a commit to play baseball at Pacific Lutheran University next year, were the only ones to come away with hits for the Highlanders.

In a moment of comic relief, during what was an otherwise lackluster game for Hazen, Highlanders’ shortstop Zack Hill quipped, “Give the quarterback his football helmet,” after pitcher Hoover took a bouncing ball to the face. Hoover was not injured during the play.

Hazen wasn’t happy with the game’s outcome, especially against a rival, Brundage said, but it was better to get this clunker out of the way before league play started.

“They’re frustrated with a loss like this to a rival on the hill, and it sucks, and it’s tough to swallow, but the fact of the matter is it’s a practice game and it’s built for that,” he said.

Liberty’s bats propelled the Patriots to 10 runs, led by junior Daniel Rodriguez, who had two hits and three RBIs. Junior Eddie Delgado also added a hit and two RBIs as well.

The defensive play of the game came from Liberty freshman outfielder Torey Anderson, who successfully threw a runner out at the plate with a spot-on throw from centerfield.

It’s not often that a Liberty freshman makes varsity, Martin said, but Anderson is special. Liberty’s down on numbers this year, he added, but that’s not to say Anderson made the team just because they needed bodies.

“He’s got pretty good foot speed, he’s got a nice strong arm, he’s at a real good place as a freshman and he’s got nothing but upside going forward,” he said.

Both teams began league play after the nonconference matchup. Hazen hopes to repeat last year’s success, when the Highlanders took the Seamount crown, while the Patriots will look to dig out of the KingCo 3A/2A cellar.

Hazen soccer standouts Gabby Brower and Chelsea Delgado will play the sport in college after leading this year’s team to its first outright Seamount League title since 1992, and a state tournament appearance.

Brower will play at Western Washington University, while Delgado will suit up at Bellevue College.

Contributed
Hazen High School athletes (from left) Chelsea Delgado, Quadir Griffin and Gabby Brower signed to colleges Feb. 5.

Hazen football standouts Joe Glaefke and Quadir Griffin will also continue their athletic careers in college. The all-league performers will both play at Everett Junior College.

“These four individuals have made significant contributions to Hazen High School,” Hazen Principal Randy Taylor said in a statement. “We are proud of them.”

No Liberty High School athletes signed national letters of intent on signing day, Feb. 5, to his knowledge, Stark Porter, the school’s athletic director, said.

There are a handful of athletes, however, who plan to continue their careers at the next level.

Aaron Bowe, who led the boys cross-country team to its first state appearance this year, will compete at Gonzaga University.

Hannah van Amen, a member of the state championship soccer team, will continue her career at Saint Martin’s University.

Chase Vanek will play baseball at Clark College, while Lorin Archibald will take to the diamond at Lower Columbia College.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released enrollment numbers showing Liberty, at 891.8, is the size of a 2A school. Schools with less than 990.8 students, but more than 472, are considered 2A.

In the recent past, the Patriots have opted up to the 3A level, despite its stature as one of the state’s smallest 3A schools, but this time around, administrators have decided to test the 2A waters.

“We are going to explore that two-year window at the 2A level,” said Stark Porter, Liberty’s athletic director.

Hazen High School, with an enrollment of 1,059.4, will remain at 3A.

The Patriots’ league opponents will not likely change, since KingCo is already a 3A/2A league. The difference will come in postseason play, as they compete against schools with more comparable enrollment numbers.

Liberty has seen its fair share of success at the 3A level, most recently with the state champion girls soccer team. The drop down to 2A won’t change the way she runs her program, though, Liberty girls soccer coach Tami Nguyen said.

“I’m not bothered by it at all,” she said. “After seeing my team and the girls, what a positive experience state was, I believe that we’ll be competitive at 2A.”

The team’s goal will always be to compete for a state championship, she said, no matter at what level Liberty competes.

Nguyen also dismissed concerns about athletes getting seen by college coaches at a lower level, saying she was a prime example that coaches will find the best talent, no matter where they’re playing.

The Liberty coach played her high school career at 1A Seattle Christian, where she won four state titles and became the state’s all-time leading scorer. Nguyen went on to play at the University of Washington.

The Patriots cross-country team has also made significant strides at the 3A level recently. Coach Mike Smith’s team had its first state medalist in freshman Brigette Takeuchi at the fall state competition.

The move to 2A is both a good and bad thing for his team, Smith said. It’s a positive for his boys team, which had to navigate tough 3A district opponents to get to state, but it remains to be seen how it affects the girls, he said.

“Going down to 2A doesn’t necessarily mean the competition gets easier,” Smith said.

The girls in particular were poised to earn their first state team trophy next year, as top-ranked Glacier Peak made the move to 4A. Now, Liberty will have to compete with Sehome at the 2A level, one of the state’s best cross-country programs.

It’s nothing the Patriots can’t handle, especially with the young talent they have returning, Smith said, but it does make things a little more interesting for his girls next year.

“For the boys, the district competition we’ve had historically was always incredibly hard for them, so going down to 2A gives them a little more wiggle room,” he said.

The move will have a great impact on the Liberty swim teams, coach Kris Daughters said.

The district standards and state-qualifying times should be a bit easier for her swimmers, she said, allowing her to send more athletes to state.

The girls swim team, in particular, will benefit from the move after narrowly missing a team trophy this fall, Daughters said.

“It will be a really positive move for the swim team,” she said.

Porter said he looks at the move as a two-year experiment, after which the school will re-evaluate things.

“We have a few programs that are successful at the 3A level,” he said. “Track’s been healthy, girl’s soccer, they’ll be successful at the 2A level as well. It will probably help some of the other programs with competitive equity.”

After seven years in Major League Baseball, Liberty High School product Tim Lincecum has accumulated his fair share of accolades.

The San Francisco Giants pitcher has won two Cy Young Awards, given to baseball’s best pitcher, two World Series championships and has appeared in four all-star games. He had not, however, thrown a no-hitter, despite the fact that he had come close a few times.

By Greg Farrar
Former Liberty High School star Tim Lincecum, pitching in Major League Baseball since 2007 for the San Francisco Giants, makes his Safeco Field debut pitching against the Mariners in 2012.

That all changed July 14, when Lincecum used a whopping 148 pitches to no-hit the San Diego Padres on the way to a 9-0 Giants victory.

“I’m kind of speechless right now,” Lincecum said in a postgame TV interview.

The 148 pitches was a career high for Lincecum, who came into the game with a 4-9 record and an ERA above four. After a stellar start to his career, Lincecum began to struggle in 2012 and into 2013, but the 2003 Liberty grad, nicknamed “The Freak,” was back to form against the Padres.

The performance, said current Liberty softball coach and former Lincecum teammate Zach Bartholomew, would hopefully allow the star pitcher to get his stride back.

“I was happy for him,” Bartholomew said. “I think it’s a great start for him to get back on track and get back to what he does best, and that’s striking people out.”

Lincecum ended the game with 13 strikeouts and has collected 125 this season. While he succeeded in getting batters out at the plate, Lincecum also had help from his defense, which recorded a handful of superb plays to maintain the no-hitter.

Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval snagged a sharp grounder in the seventh inning and made a long throw to first base for the out. An inning later, outfielder Hunter Pence made a spectacular diving catch, robbing Padres hitter Alexi Amarista of what appeared to be the team’s first hit.

Prior to the game, Lincecum’s career-high pitch count was 138. He beat that by 10 pitches in the no-hitter, but that did not affect him, he said in the postgame TV interview.

“I felt fine out there from the first pitch, maybe just a little sweaty, but other than that I felt great,” he said.

When the TV announcers asked Lincecum if he could remember the last time he threw a no-hitter, he responded that he could not, though he opined it must have been during his high school days.

“Yeah, they’re only seven innings though,” he said. “It’s a little easier.”

Lincecum threw a couple of no hitters during his time at Liberty. In March 2003, he recorded his first career high school no-hitter as a senior, striking out 16, defeating Interlake. He did it again in April 2003, striking out 13, defeating Bellevue, 9-0.

“Every time that he was on the mound, we would know that great things were going to happen,” Bartholomew said. “The whole thing back then was that we had a great team atmosphere and everybody trusted everybody, and he was a huge part of it.”

That team went on to win the 2003 state championship.

Lincecum continued his baseball career at the University of Washington, where he earned the 2006 Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation’s best amateur baseball player. That year, he also combined with Nick Hagadone to throw the Huskies’ first no-hitter since 1969.

He was drafted 10th overall by the San Francisco Giants in the 2006 MLB draft.

“I’ve got nothing but good things to say about him,” Bartholomew said. “He was a great kid growing up and a good friend. Off the field, he’d be there if you needed him. I have nothing but respect for him.”

Baseball Elite is run by a Major League Baseball scout. Players are held accountable to improve and get better every day, and the coaching staff carries a high standard of professionalism and hard work. Players are prepared for college and beyond.

Tryouts will be in August with team indoor training starting in November. The first tournament will be in March, with the season concluding at the end of July. Each team will compete in 12 tournaments.

Open tryouts for 12U baseball teams are at noon Aug. 3 and 10 at Renton Academy, 7100 116th Ave. S.E., Newcastle. Open tryouts for 13U teams are at noon Aug. 4 and 11 at Renton Academy, 7100 116th Ave. S.E., Newcastle. A 14U team could also form.

Call 206-973-9294 or email selectbaseballelite@gmail.com to RSVP for tryouts. If you cannot attend one of the tryouts, Baseball Elite may hold individual tryouts as well.

Baseball Elite is run by a Major League Baseball scout. Players are held accountable to improve and get better every day, and the coaching staff carries a high standard of professionalism and hard work. Players are prepared for college and beyond.

Tryouts will be in August with team indoor training starting in November. The first tournament will be in March, with the season concluding at the end of July. Each team will compete in 12 tournaments.

Open tryouts for 12U baseball teams are at noon Aug. 3 and 10 at Renton Academy, 7100 116th Ave. S.E., Newcastle. Open tryouts for 13U teams are at noon Aug. 4 and 11 at Renton Academy, 7100 116th Ave. S.E., Newcastle. A 14U team could also form.

Call 206-973-9294 or email selectbaseballelite@gmail.com to RSVP for tryouts. If you cannot attend one of the tryouts, Baseball Elite may hold individual tryouts as well.

The Classic annually draws teams from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Aruba, Cuba and Mexico. Former major league pitcher Jim Parque, founder of Big League Edge in Auburn, was beaming about Team USA’s performance.

By Debbie Anderson
Team USA 12U poses with its championship trophy at the LABC closing ceremonies.

“I’ve done this for seven years now and this year was something special,” he said. “We had great kids who were great baseball players. The youngsters’ families showed great support and truly valued the cultural and baseball experience. Two firsts, a second and a third speaks volumes for where USA baseball is at. The youngsters can be proud of their accomplishments.”

Team USA fields teams ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old and handpicks its players from several tryouts held across the country.

Justin was an instrumental player on the 12U USA team, pitching 15 innings and winning three of the team’s four games on their way to the tournament championship. He pitched the last five innings of an extra inning win by Team USA in the 12U championship game against Club Banco Central, a Dominican Republic team.

Justin was named 12U MVP by the LABC Tournament officials, and was also named Team USA 12U MVP by the 12U Team USA coach Cody Ryckman.

Torey was named 13U Best Offensive Player by the LABC Tournament officials and pitched a complete game in the 13U USA semi-final 15-3 win over Enrique (“Quique”) Cruz. The 13U USA team’s only loss in the tournament came in the 13U championship game against the Dominican Republic team Los Vecinos. The 13U USA team fought back and tied the game in the last inning, but fell short in extra innings, losing 6-5.

The tournament included both opening and closing ceremonies where teams from all countries and age groups intermingled and traded uniforms and gear. The games were played at various locations in Santo Domingo and Boca Chica, including Baseball City, a complex of MLB academies where more than 1,600 prospects ages 16 to 20 live and train.

Both Justin and Torey played youth baseball in the Newcastle Baseball Pony system and have played for Eastside Select Sports for the past three years. They were joined on the USA teams by several other Eastside Select Sports players.

Other Eastside Select 12U players included Zane Baker (of Bellevue), Tony Brookbank (of Seattle), and John Buscher (of Bellevue). Other Eastside Select 13U players included Kenny McCormick II (of Seattle), Alex Nelson (of North Bend) and Clayton Stultz (of Maple Valley).